Fords - wet belts & ecoboosts?

B0bbyEwing

Thanks Goudy. I remember you from the Mondeo issues & know you have first hand experience. 

Just to be clear, this isn't a blinkered search where we must buy Ford. From advice from MANY, I was actually steering (no pun) towards a Civic really. I just wanted to ask about Ford's since there's so many about that it's a large part of the search results when looking. 

jimjames

B0bbyEwing said:

My question was actually specifically about Ford's & whether we should rule them out of a search based on the horror stories we've heard & warnings from others we've been given. Not sure if it's actually as bad as what people suggest or not. 

Depends how long you are intending keeping it. Reason many are for sale is that the wet belt costs up to £2k to replace and on a £3k car that isn't economical option for many people. If it might need doing during your ownership you need to cost it in.

Mildly_Miffed

The big issue with Ecoboost wet belts isn't so much the wet belt per se - it's the extent of work needed to change it. It's a dozen hours or so - and that's enough to be uneconomical on most older cars.

The PSA Puretech also has a wet belt. If oil changes are done regularly and with the right oil, it'll last the six year interval quite happily... and changing it is a three hour job, quicker than many dry belts.

Some Civics also have wet belts. I'm unsure about the change on those, because they're relatively rare.

facade

B0bbyEwing said:

<snip>

We were told that these cars "start going wrong" about the 80k marker. Hop on the sales pages & of all these Fords we were looking at ... pretty much 99% of them were in and about the 80k marker. 

<snip>

Scaremongering or is there sound reasoning behind it?

I get that any car will have its own issues. Especially at such a budget. I'm just looking to avoid one that may automatically start with more issues than most.

Owners are told that at 80,000 they should change the belt, otherwise they are driving a ticking time-bomb.

The cost at a dealer is massive, so they quickly "get rid" as the car approaches 80,000 and trade it in on a new car.

Some traders buy the best of these in (often in superb cosmetic condition with a full dealer service history) at low prices, and get the belt done at "mates rates" then sell them at a premium price with documented proof of the new belt, so they are good for another 80,000 miles if the rest of the car makes it.

They are a reasonable buy with proof of a new belt as they are excellent cars apart from the engine.

Another engine to avoid like the plague is the 1.2 litre Puretec engine, fitted to Peugeot, Citroens & Vauxhalls pre 2022 - referred to by garages as "Purecrap" these use the same "wet belt" technology as the ecoboom.

They do have the belt visible through the oil filler though, and the belt is much cheaper to change.

The problem on a second hand car is that as the belt degrades the pieces block the oil filter, then get around the engine blocking the oilways and causing massive premature wear. Eventually the oil light will come on when the engine is literally on it's last legs. Then they grudgingly get the belt changed and the internal filters cleared,  and "get rid" while it is still running.

You won't know if this was the case until maybe 12 months later when the brake booster fails or the engine starts knocking. 

twopenny

Do you ever wonder why eco boost comes up so often in your searches?
For the reasons above, there are a lot coming on the market for a reason.

I fell in love with one and got as far as looking up how to run it on a test drive plus some help on here but in the end I decided to go for a Honda i10 at 30,000 miles which was available on the spot when my car failed the MOT.
It's a boring box on wheels but brilliantly designed inside, quite a few bells and whistles,very comfortable, turns on a 6p and economical. 

fatbelly

There's a garage in Exmouth that specialises in these belts, and it's a nice place for a short holiday*

https://palmersgarage.co.uk/2022/05/09/ford-fiesta-focus-cambelt-replacement/
https://palmersgarage.co.uk/2025/06/05/peugeot-citroen-vauxhall-wet-timing-belt-replacements/

*Update. Except you can't use the beach at present as South West Water are using it to dump raw sewage

Goudy

B0bbyEwing said:

Thanks Goudy. I remember you from the Mondeo issues & know you have first hand experience. 

Just to be clear, this isn't a blinkered search where we must buy Ford. From advice from MANY, I was actually steering (no pun) towards a Civic really. I just wanted to ask about Ford's since there's so many about that it's a large part of the search results when looking. 

The FK/FN Mk 8 "European" Civic is a pretty good car but you can get hobbled with some parts costs though there are plenty of specialist part suppliers.

Both the 1.4 and 1.8 VTEC engines are pretty robust, though I seem to remember the 1.8 had a few issues with clogged oil control rings, valve lifter rattle (non hydraulic lifters)  and early versions have problems with blocks cracking.

They do have a few foibles like any car, so check any purchase out carefully.
Motor mounts can wear and vibrate the car, though the cam train can be also noise at times. The VTEC actuating system likes regular clean oil.
Gearbox syncros on some models wear and grind and swerve the Ishift (Ishit) gearbox.
Air con condensers rot out pretty quickly, check the air con works.
Handbrake levers can wobble when pulled on, usually when the cables are stretched or the pads are low.

It was the Mk 10 Civic fitted the "P" 1.0 3 pot turbo engine that had the wet belt problem.

Your £3k budget would get you into a Toyota Auris.
Not the most inspiring car, but that should work for you. You'll find plenty of low mileage, privately owned stock.

Steer clear of the diesel and any fancy Multimode gearbox.
The 1.33 and the 1.6 vvti have been known to burn a bit of out (check level and exhaust for lots of soot) but it's a pretty hardy unit.



 

forgotmyname

£6,999 in 2019 so still a massive increase compared to many other cars. Yes they are much better equipped but not
doubling the price in extra's.

Price up a new engine for a modern one and then price up the battery pack.  My bet is the battery pack is going to cost
considerably more,  I still think the Spring EV is the price it is because they increased the price of the petrol/diesel
models to offset some of the costs.

Same as some supermarkets selling some items at a slight loss or at cost price because it entices you to spend more
whilst in store.

Skiddaw1

For what it is worth, we've had two eco-boost Fords in a row (one Focus, currently a Fiesta) and had no problems with either of them.  Quite the opposite in fact. Touch wood anyway! 

WellKnownSid

forgotmyname said:

I still think the Spring EV is the price it is because they increased the price of the petrol/diesel
models to offset some of the costs.

The Spring is based upon a low-cost platform made in China at a cost of under $8,000 per unit, partly because in Dacia's spec it's been deliberately designed with a smaller traction battery (27kWh) to give a range of around 5 times the 23 average daily miles its target market drives (based upon actual usage data from across Europe).

On the other hand, the Sandero is one of the best selling cars in Europe meaning that at almost £15k for the base model it's arguably still priced far too cheaply.

Dacia stopped selling diesel models in Europe about a year ago.  IIRC two people have complained loudly on forums about their demise which puts the decision into some form of context I guess i.e. they won't be missed.